Metro unveils new system map in preparation for Rush Plus

New rush service pattern begins June 18, 2012

Rush Plus is an expansion of rush hour service that will result in additional trains between Mt. Vernon Square and Greenbelt, and between Vienna and Court House, as well as new transfer-free travel opportunities between stations on several lines. Rush Plus is designed to ease crowding, improve the commuting experience for Metrorail riders on the Orange, Blue, Green and Yellow lines, and prepare for the future Silver Line.

Here is an overview of Rush Plus:

21 Metrorail stations will see an increase in train service.

During each rush hour period, 18 new Orange Line trains — three per hour in each direction — will operate between Vienna and Largo Town Center.

Every third existing Blue Line train (three trains per hour in each direction) will now operate between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt via the Yellow Line bridge. These trains will be identified as Yellow Line trains. As a result, customers at Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street and stations from L'Enfant Plaza to Greenbelt will have new transfer-free trip options between certain stations.

New Metrorail Map

The new Metro system map is the result of months of customer research, including focus groups and surveys, to identify the most effective ways to communicate the new service patterns. In response to customer feedback, Metro’s Board of Directors took action last year to simplify station names with a primary/secondary approach.

Enhanced rush hour service is depicted on the new map using dashed lines. The dashed line indication for rush-hour only service will be carried through to platform signs, station pylons and other customer information.

On the map, rush hour trains that operate between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt are depicted by a dashed Yellow Line to both new endpoints. Regular Yellow Line service between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Sq/Fort Totten is reflected with a solid Yellow Line.

Similarly, a dashed extension of the Orange Line has been added to the map between Stadium-Armory and Largo Town Center to reflect the new trains operating between Vienna and Largo.

Long station names have been shortened using a “primary/secondary” approach. The station’s primary name appears in standard font, while the secondary name appears below it in a smaller typeface. For example, the current Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan will become Woodley Park with the secondary name of Zoo/Adams Morgan appearing below. In addition, “New York Avenue” has been renamed “NoMa-Gallaudet.”

Other highlights of the new map:

“Call out” boxes have been eliminated to reduce clutter and improve the map’s appearance.

Two-letter line codes have been added to the color circle for each rail line: RD for Red Line, OR for Orange Line, BL for Blue Line, YL for Yellow Line and GR for Green Line.

Rail system operating hours are now shown on the map.

Icons for “prohibited items” have been updated for a more modern look.

Icons have been added to show the location of hospitals near Metrorail stations.

During peak periods, more than 46,000 Orange Line customers will enjoy six additional trains per hour – three in each direction – resulting in 18 percent more capacity on the line, or approximately 2,600 seats per hour. The Orange Line is Metro’s second busiest, carrying approximately 180,000 passenger trips on a typical weekday. In a phenomenon known as “Orange Crush,” peak trains on the Orange Line between Courthouse and Rosslyn carry more passengers per car than anywhere else on the system.

For 33,500 Blue and Yellow Line customers in Virginia, Rush Plus will result in an increase in the share of Yellow Line trains, meaning more direct and faster access to downtown via the Yellow Line bridge. A smaller number of weekday peak-period customers who travel on Blue Line trains via Arlington Cemetery (about 16,000) will experience a maximum of six minutes additional waiting time for a train.

Stations from L'Enfant Plaza to Greenbelt on the Green and Yellow lines will benefit from 18 additional trains during rush hour period six -- additional Yellow Line trains each peak hour, three in each direction – between Greenbelt and Franconia-Springfield. For the first time, a customer will be able to travel from Greenbelt to Franconia-Springfield without transferring. More than 28,000 customers will benefit from the change.

For more information about Rush Plus or to download the new map, visit wmata.com/rushplus.